My mom’s upcoming birthday could prove to be an even happier day for her mom. My grandmother was a die-hard “Dallas” fan. For years during my childhood our Friday nights together consisted of dinner, “Dallas” and dessert of warm tapioca pudding.
When the popular primetime soap went off the air in 1991 my grandmother’s Friday nights were never the same. Who knew she would have to wait nearly 20 years to see J.R., Bobby, Sue Ellen and the rest of the Ewing clan reunite? If she can hang in there until my mom’s birthday on November 8th she will be in for a real treat.
Producers of the show just announced that a “Dallas” reunion will air this fall and several key actors, including Larry Hagman, Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy, have confirmed they will be a part of the festivities. According to reports, the stars will return to the Southfork Ranch north of Dallas to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the show and the entire shindig will air on the small screen.
And even better news for loyal “Dallas” fans like my grandmother, the reunion at the ranch in suburban Parker, will be open to the public. Producers announced that tickets will go on sale August 22 and will cost between $100 and $1,000. The event will include fireworks, a country music concert, a question-and-answer session with the cast and tours of the mansion.
In an interview with The Dallas Morning News, Hagman, who played lead character J.R. Ewing, a conniving and money hungry oil baron, said he is looking forward to the event.
“I may not be able to do the 40th,” the 76-year-old told the paper, “But thirty years is pretty good, and the show is still very popular.”
The show, which featured a group of controlling and cavorting clansmen who lied, schemed and at times tried to use deadly force (“who shot J.R.?”), hasn’t been on the air in years and the actors say age will play a factor in the reunion.
“Larry and I will have a bowl of Mueslix and a small shot of prune juice and be in bed by 9 o’clock,” Duffy, who played Bobby Ewing, told the Texas newspaper. “We’ll let people file by the bed and watch us go to sleep. I think we can hang with the best of them until midnight.”
A “Dallas” reunion… I must admit I didn’t think it would happen. I just hope my grandma lives long enough to see it air.